Power-operated dental aspirator



M. WINTER 2,182 1,021

PoWER-oPERATED DENTAL ASPIRATOR I 33 l5 MARVIN WINTER.

28, 1958Y l M. WINTER 2,821,021V

POWER-OPERATED DENTAL ASPIRATOR Filed Oct. 31,' 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F IG. 4,

MARVIN WINTER. BY

tice

POWER-OPERATED DENTAL ASPIRATOR Marvin Winter, Great Neck, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Pelton & Crane Company, Charlotte, N. C., a corporation of Michigan Application October 31, 1956, Serial No. 619,618

18 Claims. (Cl. 32-33) The present invention relates to a power-operated dental aspirator and aims to provide certain improvements therein. This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application, Serial No. 543,927, lled October 31, 1955, now abandoned.

In various dental techniques, the need for removing from the mouth of a patient the accumulation of saliva, blood, broken teeth, bone chips, lling material, etc., so that the dentist may carry on without interruption, has long posed a problem. This problem is acute since the conventional dental saliva ejectors do not function to remove solid material from the mouth. The only poweroperated dental aspirator now available is a massive cabineted apparatus which is too costly and space-consuming for the average dentist to indulge. Also, there has been recently introduced to the dental profession an electronic device for excavating teeth, which device, in use, involves continuously feeding a slurry of abrasive coupled with a water supply, and requires that the slurry and water be continuously removed from the mouth of the patient, which removal cannot be `accomplished with a conventional dental saliva ejector.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a power-operated dental aspirator which is a compact unit that can be clamped to the light standard of a conventional dental unit or attached to a wall in proximity to such dental unit.

A further object of the invention is to provide a dental aspirator of the character set forth which can be readily assembled from standard parts and fittings and can be installed in a few minutes without the aid of special tools or plumbing connections.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a dental aspirator unit of the character set forth which will provide a powerful foolproof suction at the aspirator tip.

A still further object of the invention is to provide as part of the unit, either a readily removable collecting chamber for waste, consisting of water, saliva, debris, etc., or means for automatically discharging said waste when operation of the power aspirator is stopped.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character set forth with automatic cut-o means for preventing any of the waste being drawn through the power-operated blower.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a unit of the character described which is simple in construction and can be sold at a price that all dentists can well afford.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention, not specifically enumerated, I accomplish by providing a compact assembly comprising a housing, an electric motor-operated blower within said housing, a chamber below said blower, means providing air communication between said chamber and the intake side of the blower, means for establishing uid communication between the chamber and an aspirator conduit exteriorly of the chamber, said chamber being adapted to receive and collect liquid and debris drawn through the aspirator tube and means associated with said chamber for discharging the liquid and debris collected therein. The device also includes means for preventing collected liquid and debris from being drawn into the blower. The invention will be readily understood from the detailed description which follows, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a diametrical section through a dental aspirator embodying my invention, mounted on the light standard of a dental unit.

Fig. 2 shows a section taken along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 showing a detail of the invention.

Fig. 3 shows a diagram of the electric wiring of the unit.

Fig. 4 shows a diametrical fractional section through a second embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a detail of the invention.

Fig. 6 shows a diametrical section through still another embodiment of my invention.

Referring first to Figs. l to 3 of the drawing, the dental aspirator therein shown consists essentially of a canister-like housing 1t] of generally cylindrical form having secured therein in spaced relation to the lower end, and open false bottom or partition 11 upon which is supported an air blower 12 coupled to an electric motor 13, the housing being fitted with a removable top plate 14 and a removable bottom plate 15, to which plate 15 is permanently aixed a container closure cap 16 by suitable means such as bolts 16a, said cap facing outwardly and being formed with a screw-thread adapted to accommodate and support a conventional Mason jar 17 or other suitable container in assembled relation to the housing 10. The bottom plate 15 and the closure cap are formed with two sets of registering openings 18 and 19, to provide an entry into the jar 17 and an exit from the jar 17 to the blower 12 of air which will be drawn through an aspirator tube 20 when the blower is in operation.

The aspirator tube 20 may be of any desired construction and, as shown, is formed of plastic and is removably and frictionally held in a second plastic tube 21 inserted in one end of a iexible hose 22, the opposite end of the hose being connected through a U-shaped conduit 23 mounted in the bottom of the housing between the bottom plate 15 and the false bottom 11, one end of the U-shaped conduit extending through the registering openings 18. The U-shaped conduit 23 may be suitably formed from conventional pipe nipples and elbows and clamped to the bottom plate 15 by suitable nuts. Mounted within the second set of registering openings 19 is a threaded pipe nipple 24 having portions thereof extending above and below the bottom plate and being held thereto by securing nuts 25.

Sldably mounted in the nipple 24 is a floating tube 26, preferably formed of synthetic resin, the bottom of which is preferably closed and the upper portion 26a of which is of reduced diameter to provide a shoulder 27 for a purpose which will presently be explained. The reduced portion of the tube 26 is formed with a window 23 therein which is preferably covered with wire gauze 29 to prevent solid portions of debris from gaining entrance into the tube and eventually into the blower.

Mounted on the inner face of the bottom plate 15 is an insulating block 30 which carries a secondary electrical switch consisting of a bracket 31 on which a pivoted arm 31a is mounted to be gravity-actuated to closing contacting engagement with a bracket arm 32. The uprights of the switch part brackets are laterally spaced apart, as best shown in Fig. 2, and extendingI @tithe top.;of the oatinggtube 26 and adapted to unseat the pivoted arm 31a of the switch from its contact 32 after'a predetermined amount of upward movement of the floating tube by liquid'oollecting in the jar. The arm 33 may Ybeformed as apart-.of a,plasticg'nut,34.threaded Von the.upperendofthetube 2.6. Qlcourse, theoating `tube 26.may.b.e;so calibrated .or-weightedihat it'will move the operating arm .33 jfrom.its-position-.ofmest againstrthe insulating.,blockflln-into `switch-:opening rposition when the jar v1-7 isabouttwo-thirds ffull-.oflivquid In order that the gravityffactuated `switch may not Vbe thrown out of operating position, the shoulder 27 is so locatedvin relation to the lower end of the. nipple 24 so asto limit the upwardmovement ofthefloating tube as it rises in response to an increase,in.the vo1ume, of liquid collected in the .jar 17.

The motor 13 which .I prefer-to use .auniversal A. C.-D.C. motor asconventionally found in .tanktype vacuum cleaners and is packed within the housing by a suitable air permeablesound insulating material such as liber glass wool 35 and a rubber cap 36 engaging over the motor bearing housing. A motor of.the.char acter specified, however, operates at too high .a speedv and creates too strong asuction eect at the free end of aspirator tube 20, wherefore I prefer to connect inseries with the motor a suitable resistance carried .in a1resistance box 37 to. reduce speed and the subsequent suction effect. The resistance box may constitute a part of the unit and the whole may be clamped Vonto a light standard :38. of a conventional dental' unit by means of four mounting bolts 39 and wing nuts 46, thehousing 10 andresistance box '37 being disposed on opposite sides of the light stand-` ard and-cushioned therefrom by a sponge rubber spacing sheet 41. To facilitate control of the aspirator, amanually operable primary switch 42 is interposedy in the circuit. Current may be supplied tothe motor from a conventional wall outlet by a plug 43. For convenience,Y

the housing 10 may also be provided with a bifurcated spring clip 44 adapted to hold the hose end ofthe aspirator tube. In lieu of mounting the unit on the light standard 38, one wall ofthe resistance box may be prop vided with brackets for mounting the unit onto. a wall. In the operation of the embodiment ofthe invention above described, let it be assumed ,that the unit, including the Mason jar 17, is in position and the dentist is desirous of using the power-operated aspirator. Theplug 43 lwill vbe inserted into the wall outlet and the manual primary switch Y42 will be moved Vto on position. The.

motor will Athen rotate and the blower will ,create a suction action at the free tip lendof the aspirator tube 20 which will-"be-inserted vinto v the mouth of the patient. by a dental assistant while-the dentist is operating on the patient. The suction-action-will withdraw the accumulation of saliva, blood, broken teeth, lling material, etc., and water, whereused inY conjunction with the operating technique-,which delgiriswill be deposited in the Mason jar, while theaccompanying-sucked-in air, as Vindicated by the broken-arrows, Willa-pass from A,the Mason jar through the screen window 2-8, then through the open end ofthe floating tube 26; thence through lthe opening 46 in the false bottomV 11 fthrough the blower and out through openings 45 in the housingg10f. The oating tube having -a-speciic gravity somewhat less than one, it will not rise until a predetermined volume of liquid has been collected ine the jar. As aforementioned, the Weight of theoating tubewi'ssuch Ythat vwhen the jar isapproximately ltwo-thirds full, the tube-willV have moved upwardly through-the nipple 24 .to-cause the operating arm V33 to unseat-the pivoted arm V31aV 'of' thesecondary switch and break; -the-electric circuitlto-the motor. By' this action, allj danger o'feither liquid orasolid'debris Abeing drawn into 'they-blower is averted: Periodically, the. -iary 17 may be-unscrewed `from f-the capJ llantl emptied 'and' cleaned.

'I-ngjthe embodimenthown fink Figf-/L the VVstructure 4of the ,unit, v' with the Vexception of the Mason jar 17=andthe specific character of the floating tube 26, are the same as disclosed in. Figs. .l,to...3, andhereinbeforedescribed. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, in lieu of the Mason jar 17, I have provided a-receptacle 47 consisting of a cylindrical member 48 having a diameter to enclose the closure cap 16 and t within the hose connection 22 leading from the aspirator tube .26. Within the member 4S there is secured a screw-threaded head 49 adapted to engage :the `Athread .of the closure` cap.f16.' .'lhe/head 49 consists of a metal shell which. is secured by'bolts 5.0 :.*ndgn-uts Slt'o v an.annular""ring 52, .the space between the shell and one face of the ring'being 'filled with .a composition 53 to provide a relatively smooth bore through'the head. A'l`hecannular ring 52is.secured within the cylinder 48 Aby fastening means L54. Also .mounted within the cylindrical member `Y48' is a funnel-like member 5S having a drain outlet, the lower end 56 of which extends beyond the lower end of the member 48 through 'a' bottom closure 57 which' is .secured to kthe .member .48 -by securing means .-58. Secured within the funnel 55 above its .drain outlet kend is an annularring orvalve seat 59 having an inverted conical top -t`ace..60, and a central opening therethrough 59. .Somewhatfbelow' the bottom vface of the annular ring lorfvalve seat 159 there is vdisposed within :the funnel a .oating valve. disc. 61 havinga` plurality of openings 62 therethrough .arranged ina circle which is concentric with the'ring and oflarger diameter than theV opening 59 inthe valveseat 59. Adapted for connection to-the outlet end.56 of the funnel is -a vdrain tube63, .the free end 63 of whichmay be engaged overithe .rimof a-conventional dental drain zbasin. In..lieuV of the floating tube 26shown-in`FiU. 1, the embodiment shown in Fig. 4 has a somewhat shortened Atube 64 closed at its bottom end by a hollow ball 65 which normally extends downwardly into the chamber provided by' theacylindrical member 48 to approximately the top of the funnel 5S. Tube 64 is formed with an open window 66 therein which is preferably rcovered with wire gauze 67. The top of the oating tube 64 is provided ing 10 and providea more .pleasing appearance to the4 unit.

In theoperation of the .embodiment of ythe invention. shown in Fig. 4, it will be realized that when .the main. switch 42 (Shown in Fig.' 1 butomtted from Fig. 4) is movedto on position, the 4motor blower will operate.

and create. a suction action at the free tip of the aspirator tube and also within .the chamber lof the receptacle 47 andcause Vthevalve disc. 161 to move upwardly vand close the opening 59y in the valve seat y59... When said aspirator isi inserted into the mouth of...a patient yit `will with?. draw any saliva, blood, broken. teeth, lling material,v water, etc., when usedinconjunctionwith the operating technique, which water and debris will. bedeposited and collectedinthe receptacle 4.7. Theaccumulation. ofrcollected waste in the receptacle 47 willcontinue Yas long as. the motor of the blower-is operating.. Asl soon as the motor is manuallyv shut. olf, the.suction..eie`ct on. the valve disc 61 is release dwherenp.on. said discawilldrop away from its seat and permit the collected waste tollow out through .drain tube. 63. Should the dental. operating technique require the luse of Aa large .amountof water, .it

is conceivable that the collected .waste .liquid vin .the.re.. ceptacle 48 will' rise.. aboveY the funnel and,in. order. to... prevent such liquid 'from beingdrawn .into the.. motor.. blower. through the oating tube 64, .theflloatY 65..;wjllu raise saidtube 64' to openthelsecondary switch` 31",.tb11s.; temporarily,stoppingthegblower and the suction effect produced thereby and permit the collected. u'id todi-ain out of the receptacle. Of course this will take but a few seconds and, when the floating tube again drops by gravity, the secondary switch will automatically close and the motor will again operate.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6 the entire unit has been streamlined and consists of a housing 68 formed by connecting the open ends of a pair of cup-like shells 69 and 70 together through the agency of a partition member 71 in any desired manner. The partition divides the housing into an upper chamber 72 and a lower chamber 73, there being mounted in the upper chamber the blower 12 and motor 13 on a cushion 74 in a manner quite analogous to that described in connection with Fig. 1, and the lower chamber is constructed in a manner quite analogous quite analogous to the receptacle 47 without the head 49 being mounted therein. The partition member 71 may be conveniently formed of molded plastic material and is formed with a recess 75 in its top face and with a connecting bore 76 through which air communication is established between the lower chamber and the intake side of the blower 12. Mounted in the recess 75 is a secondary switch 31 operable by an arm 33 at the upper end of a oating tube 64 in a manner shown and described in Fig. 4. Also formed in the partition 71 is a duct 77, to the opposite ends of which are connected an elbow tting 78 and a discharge nozzle 79 respectively for establishing uid communication between the chamber 73 and an aspirator conduit 80 exteriorly of the chamber. The discharge nozzle 79 may be formed with lateral openings 81 to more effectively distribute the air under pressure entering the chamber 73 and thereby avoid splashing of the liquid collected in said chamber, especially when the level of said liquid approaches the oat ball 65.

The operation of the unit shown in Fig. 6 is precisely the same as that shown in Fig. 4.

From the foregoing detailed description it will be apparent that I have provided various exceedingly simple, compact and unitary power-operated dental aspirator units satisfying the various objects recited in the opening statement of this specification, and, while I have shown and described certain preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that changes in details of construction may be made thereto within the range of mechanical and engineering skill without departing from the spirit of the invention as hereinater claimed.

What I claim is:

1. A power-operated dental aspirator unit comprising a housing, an electric motor-operated blower within said housing, a chamber below said blower, means providing air communication between said chamber and the intake side of the blower, an aspirator conduit positioned exteriorly of the chamber, means for establishing uid cornmunication between the chamber and the aspirator conduit, said chamber being adapted to receive and collect liquid and debris drawn through the aspirator conduit, a normally closed switch controlling the current to the blower and means extending into the chamber operable to open said switch when a predetermined amount of the liquid has collected in the chamber.

2. A dental aspirator according to claim 1, wherein there is a partition within the housing upon which the motor-operated blower is supported, and the space between the motor and the walls and top of the housing is packed with an air permeable sound-insulating material.

3. A dental aspirator according to claim l, wherein there is a partition within the housing upon which the motor-operated blower is supported and said housing has means for supporting the unit onto an upright supporting structure.

4. A dental aspirator according to claim l, wherein the means which extend into the chamber and are operable to open said switch is a float adapted to be raised when the liquid collected in the chamber has reached a predetermined level.

5, A dental aspirator according to claim 4, wherein chamber and the intake side of the blower.

6. A power-operated dental aspirator unit comprising a canister-like housing, an electric motor-operated blower mounted in said housing, the lower end of the housing having attached thereto a receptacle closure cap facing outwardly adapted to receive and hold a receptacle providing a chamber, said lower end of the housing and the cap having two sets of registering openings therethrough, an aspirator conduit leading from exteriorly of the housing through one set of openings and the second set of openings communicating with the air intake of the blower.

7. A dental aspirator unit according to claim 6, wherein a normally closed switch which controls the current to the motor is mounted within the housing in proximity to the second set of registering openings and float means extend through said openings and is adapted to open said switch when the float means has been raised a predetermined amount by the liquid collected in the receptacle.

8. A dental aspirator unit according to claim 6, wherein a tube extends through the second set of openings and is adapted to extend down to near the bottom of a recep tacle when connected to the cap, and said tube has an opening through its wall in proximity to the cap.

9. A dental aspirator unit according to claim 6, wherein a floating tube having a closed bottom telescopically extends through the second set of openings and is adapted to extend down to near the bottom of the receptacle when connected to the cap, said tube has an opening through its wall in proximity to the cap, an electric switch which is gravity-actuated to closed position controls the current to the motor is mounted within the housing in proximity to the upper end of the oating tube, and means operable by the Boating tube to open said switch when the oating tube has been raised a predetermined amount by liquid collected in the receptacle.

l0. A power-operated dental aspirator unit comprising a housing, an electric motor-operated blower within said housing, a chamber below said blower, means providing air communication between said chamber and the intake side of the blower, an aspirator conduit leading from the exterior of the housing to the chamber, said chamber being adapted to receive and collect liquid and debris drawn through the aspirator conduit, means controlling operation of said blower and operable in accordance with a predetermined liquid level in said chamber to stop said blower, and means for opening said chamber for discharging the liquid and debris collected therein.

11. A dental aspirator according to claim 10, wherein the means for discharging the liquid and debris from the chamber comprises a drain outlet in said chamber and valve means controlling said drain outlet.

12. A dental aspirator according to claim 11, wherein the valve means is a normally open check valve which is adapted to close by the suction etect produced in the chamber when the blower is operating and to open upon cessation of such operation.

13. A dental aspirator according to claim 12, wherein the housing is a canister-like member which has a partition therein which forms with the lower portion of the housing the chamber adapted to receive and collect liquid and debris drawn through an aspirator tube and also a support for the blower and said partition has an opening therethrough which provides for air communication between the chamber and the intake side of the blower.

14. A dental aspirator according to claim 12, wherein a manually operable primary switch and a normally closed secondary switch control the current to the blower, and means extend into the chamber and is operable to open said secondary switch when a predetermined amount of liquid has collected in the chamber.

15. YA dentalY aspiratorV according to rclainlll, wherein.

the' means which 4is.op erable to openv said secondary switch includes a float which becomes,op.erable whe11 theY collected liquid inthe chamberhaseattaineda. predete1'r mined level. t

Y 16.v A. power-operated dental'faspirator unit comprising a housing, l,an electric motor operated blower within said housinga chamber within said housing, means preo-` viding air communication betweenY said chamber and theintake side of the blower, an aspirator conduitmeansv for establishing iluid communicationbetween the aspirator conduit and the chamber, saidn chamber being, adapted.

toV receive and collect liquid and ,debris drawnrthroughy Y the aspiratorconduit, means for controlling the blower and operablefupon a` predetermined amount of'liquid collecting 'in said chamber to cutoff'said blower.

17;' A dental aspirator iaccording to claim 16 provided with means for preventing collected liquid and debris from being drawn into the blower;

the aspirator. conduit'. andthe chamber, saidrchamber'being adapted .to..receive.,andl collect liquid.k andy debris drawn,

through ,the:aspiratorK conduit,v means preventing collected' liquid and: debris from being -drawn into the,V blower, ,and`

meanslforrcontrolling the: bloweroperable upon apre-l determined amount OtIiquid-collectingjnsaid chamberY` toV cut` ofl said, blower.

Rie'rencesit'ed in the-leloftthis patent f FORELGN1PTENTS. f

901,'461 Ge`rmanvy FV ejan. 11,' 1954 

